Well done Jared & Claire Tallent!

Tallent=ed two win
Well they won the Australian 20km walk championship on the weekend. Jared and Clair Tallent that is, in 1hr 19 and 1hr 32 respectively. This Hobart meet was also a IAAF Racewalk challenge meet, and also the trials for the New Delhi Commonwealth Games this year.
I managed to say hello to Jared again as he racewalked his way past me again in the Melbourne Marathon last year, and achieved his goal of racewalking the Melbourne Marathon in under 3hrs 10 minutes. Pretty significant gathering of New Zealanders, a Swede, Japanese and Mexicans came over for this one, so a very international flavour to this race...A bit like the Sydney Olympics trial 20km walk I did back in February 2000 in a 1.54...

My wife Kathryn and I wore our Nathan Deakes shirts today, but in his first major comeback race Nathan pulled out about 10km into it, so not a happy day for him...

Training this week, well it didn't happen. I had a very! stressful week at work, but I did one metering round, where I ran hard all the way and didnt carry drinks, including some sections where I had to run 200m-1200m between meters, so after about 3-4 hours of that in hot conditions, I was very tired. About 2hrs in I spotted a water fountain in a park, and I was very glad to see that. Didn't carry drinks like usual as I was in an urgent hurry to clear a round in time. On the weekend I had plans of joining one of two 38km long runs I knew of and of maybe racing the 5km at Pt Walter, but between work, and other commitments, I didn't really have much opportunity, so essentially another! nothing week...not good, all I can do is hope for better opportunities next week...

I registered for Strands.com today, its a bit like facebook for athletes according to biscuitman...Something else fun to explore. Guess its a direct competitor to MapMYrun etc too in some ways...and I wrote a brief BIO of some of the main points of my Racewalking and Running history so far. It is as follows;

***Boredom alert***

Became a Christian really early, and despite the mistakes I make, my relationship with the Creator, who sent His Son to pay for our sins, is still no 1 thing for me.

Married Kathryn in 2006. She had our first child in 2007. Still married, and another child on the way due in 2010.

Ran lots at school and little athletics as a kid with a 1500m PB of 4.52 in 1990 as a 16 year old at Interschool, one of the highlights, as was jumping 4m 65 in the long jump as an 11 year old, running 100m in 13.3secs, and 200m in 27.9 seconds as an 11 year old, and a 400m in about 67 seconds as an 11 year old. As a 12 year old in 1987 I got my first state medal in the 1500m walk with a 7min 58 secs effort.

By 1989 I was state little athletics champion, thrashing a future AFL umpire in the process, and setting a new PR with 6min 54 secs in Brisbane with 9th place at the u/16 nationals. Won a national team medal gold with Glen Bucar, and Michael Bissett, at the Australian U/18 8km walk in 1989. Did my first 20km walk in 1989, and improved my time to 1hr 51min for the 20km in 1990 as a 16 year old, broke the state u/16 residential 5km walk record with a 25.34, and then went on to set and break the u/18 10km walk record about 3-4 times with a 48.28 in 1993 my final state record. One of theose state records, a 49.53 in 1992 was a major breakthrough for me, which got the notice of the Australian selectors for the 1992? World Juniors team.

Unfortunately due to lack of money (story of my life), and desire to concentrate on trying to get into university (dum idea!) I didn't follow this Australian selection chance through properly. One of the biggest regrets of my life. Also had a 30km walk best of 2hr 53min? by 1993. Finally got into Uni in 1994, didnt race or train again much or well until 1996, when I took the state 5km walk championship race in 23min 36. Still my PR at that distance as a racewalker. Got injured and lost enthusiasm.

In 1997 I ran my first Bridges 10km, a fun run I have done 13 times since, every year since 1997 right up to 2009, although I did the 5km in 2000 and one other year. In late 1997 I got racewalking again, and improved my 30km time to 2hr 50min which is still my PB. By 1998 I had set a new 20km walk PB of 1hr 46min, and ran my second Bridges 10km in 41min 01 secs, still my 10k PB to this day.

Was severely injured (tore ankle ligaments in a volleyball game, and was in a plaster cast for several months, while living at student village in mid 1998. Bounced back to finish off 1998 with 6th place in 5hrs 38min in my first 50km walk race, the Australian championships and world cup trial in Melbourne near Albert Park Lake. In 1999 I was struggling financially and trying to finish off my university degree, and I succeeded in getting my degree, but had to pass up the chance to race for WA in several important 20km walk races in Canberra and other parts of Eastern Australia. This made it hard to stay motivated, but I managed to get over to Melbourne and compete in my second 50km walk Australian Championship race, which was also the trials for the Sydney Olympics. I dropped out at 44km as I could see I was going to finish in over 6 hours, as I wasnt well prepared enough, despite being competitive early on in the race.

In 2000 I had an unforgettable, memorable experience racing the Sydney Olympics 20km walk trial and Australian championship on the Olympic course, and my 1hr 54min effort, although 8 minutes outside my PB was respectable. A series of knee injuries after that has stopped me racewalking ever since. However I hobbled though the Bridges 5k in 2001, and by 2002 I was running well again, doing a 5k in under 22 minutes, and trying some short triathlons.

Eventually the pain in my knees settled, (but to this day have never racewalked again), and by 2003 I ran my first Half Marathon and in 2004 I ran my first Marathon which is still my PB despite finishing another 9 marathons at Rottnest,Perth (6 in a row as of 2009), and Melbourne 2007, 2009. Lost fitness and focus a bit gettng married in 2006, and when we had our first child in 2007. I came within 8 seconds of my Marathon PB in 2008, and should have broken it in Melbourne 2009, but for a very long unscheduled toilet break, (ate too close to the race).

Have also run a very tough off-road 46km trails race called 6 inch 4 times in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. Set a new PB in that with 6hrs 16 in 2009. Dabbled with a bit of cycling for my marathon training since 2004, to help rest the knees, and did the 30km Freeway bike hike in 2005 and 2007. Graduated to the 60km Freeway Bikehike in 2009. Knees have got rather sore again in 2009/2010, and its hard to find the money and time to keep going, but I know from past experience if I stop chasing the dreams God has allowed me to have, I will probably be back again in a year or two with lots of lost training time to make up for, so I try to push on. My 6 inch 46km off-road result in December 2009, and 2009 Melbourne Marathon in October have given me hope that PB's are still possible...